


She Who Destroys Light

by HomeForImaginaryFriends



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Gods, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Mythology - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:42:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23372614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HomeForImaginaryFriends/pseuds/HomeForImaginaryFriends
Summary: After defeating the titans all Kuroo wants is some peace and quiet, until he discovers an ancient being in his new realm.  (Hades!Kuroo&Persephone!Sawamura)
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Sawamura Daichi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 131





	She Who Destroys Light

**Author's Note:**

> “In the most ancient layer of myth, Persephone’s name means “She Who Destroys The Light.” She was the powerful Goddess of the Underworld long before anyone knew of Hades. Like the Indian Kali, the Irish Morrigan, and the Sumerian Ereshkigal, she was the Goddess of Death.”

Kuroo was exhausted. Fighting against his parents had nearly drained not only him but his siblings completely. He wished for nothing except a bit of peace and quiet but he knew without the common goal of defeating their parents his brothers would start fighting each other. So when the opportunity to cheat for his portion of the world they had fought and bled for, he gladly took it.

Oikawa and Ushijima had looked relieved and Kuroo had did his best to play the part of the eldest bitter brother, crossing a wide ocean and beginning to plot how to fortify his new kingdom. He didn’t want any of the gods to feel even the smallest inkling of curiosity about the Underworld, so he made it as unappealing as possible and filled it with the dead.

Unlike Olympus or the deep sea kingdom Ushijima now presided over, the Underworld had predated all of them. It had not been made by the Gods, Kuroo wasn’t even sure if it was made by his parents, that is how ancient and timeless the depths of it felt. The dead had been there long before Kuroo stepped foot on the blackened ground, he set to better organize them and set some of them to work but in the back of his mind he wondered about the Underworld.

Kuroo was a god who had defeated Titans so he pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind and forgot about it for the most part. The presence didn’t feel oppressive or threatening by any manner, just ancient and almost curious. Mostly it slept as Kuroo molded the Underworld to suit his needs, only turning its attention on him when he made large changes. Sometimes it even seemed to help Kuroo along, giving Kuroo five rivers to guard against the land of the living instead of one he had been trying to create. His palace was constantly gaining new corridors and wings, expanding with no help from Kuroo himself.

The front of Kuroo’s palace remains large and intimidating, the color of bone left out to bleach in the unforgiving sun. But the back is teaming with life, a wide spread of cypresses shoot towards the unseen roof of the Underworld while almost delicate narcissus spread across the ground. Kuroo spends a good majority of his time wandering behind the palace, wondering how so much wildlife could survive in the Underworld.

“Plants,” Kenma, the god of death and the only god Kuroo willingly allows in his domain on a regular basis, said when Kuroo had brought up the mystery. “Die too.” Kuroo is not satisfied with that answer but he does not investigate further.

Kuroo’s peace is short-lived as the gods start fighting. There’s more now than ever and they have been forced to pick sides. The gates of the Underworld are flooded by new arrivals as the humans fight without any real idea of what they are fighting for.

The three-headed hellhound was a bit of a surprise and Kuroo, being as old as he was, wasn’t used to being surprised. They are somehow the child of the father and mother of all monsters, gods Kuroo was to be rid of, but they obeyed Kuroo. Incredibly large and fearsome, they walk mostly along the banks of River Styx, guarding it from unwanted intruders and keeping the souls of dead in. The three-headed beast rolls over onto their back whenever Kuroo draws near, presenting a large belly for rubs and whining softly when Kuroo walks away to finish his duties.

Oikawa storms his way into Kuroo’s dominion, demanding Kuroo pick a side. They all know the undead army that Kuroo has amassed, knows that he can easily unleash it unto the world if he sees fit. The longer Oikawa stays the more the Underworld rumbles to life, deep within its pits something is stirring and even Oikawa in his fits of rage can feel it. He thinks it’s all Kuroo’s doing, leaving before the ceiling collapses on him.

When Ushijima shows up unannounced, Kuroo decides it is the best time to explore the land which he rules over. He passes through the fields of asphodel, past the furies bickering, and the empty eyes of the dead that watch him silently. The ground grows more rugged, untamed and unknown though Kuroo can tell it’s not unused.

The feeling of  _ something _ becomes stronger the more Kuroo walks. It feels like how his mother used to feel, before she became overtaken with bitterness and hatred. Ancient, all-encompassing, and full of untold power. But it’s not hostile, not unwelcoming or suspicious. Kuroo feels watched, sees the old creatures out of the corner of his eye shifted back into the growing shadows. He hears them whispering in a language Kuroo doesn’t even know, a language made up of magic that is more feeling than sounds.

Tiny orange blossoms bloom on the walls and the ceiling of the cave Kuroo is walking down. He’s never seen them, not in the Underworld nor the mortal realm or even Olympus. They spread wider when he reaches out to touch them, giving off a sweet smell that understated, not overwhelming.

It’s calming even if Kuroo can feel Ushijima’s growing ire the longer he is forced to wait. Can’t they leave him be? He has no interest in their politics and even less interest in those of mankind. He doesn’t care if there are more temples of his brothers built than there are for him. No one ventures forth on the prayers to the Lord of the Underworld and that is how Kuroo likes it. He will look after the dead, leave the living to those above.

The cave opens up into a large cavern. It would be pitchblack if not for the glowing fauna. It’s cooler here, though not quite cold, not that gods get cold. There’s a waterfall that feeds into a pool of water that looks like inky blackness in the dark cavern. There is movement all around Kuroo before something steps out of the water.

Kuroo has a moment to think there are the eyes he always feels upon him before the ancient creature is before him. It is difficult for even Kuroo’s godly eyes to see what form the creature truly takes since they seem to swallow the light except for their soft looking eyes and the glowing spots that appear on their face and shoulders.

Sharp tipped fingers trail along Kuroo’s chest. It’s not invasive, it almost feels like a question. Kuroo can only assume he’s the first god, or anyone truly, to stumble upon the creature in their domain. Because the Underworld is theirs, Kuroo can feel that now more than ever. It should make him unbelievably angry but all he can feel is content as the creature makes their way up Kuroo’s chest and over his shoulder.

Kuroo feels a tug on his mind, his brothers impatience growing with each passing moment. He turns his head until claw tipped fingers grab his chin and make him face the creature once more. He can feel the river nearest Ushijima swell and burst forth, the god of the sea swept back to his own domain and Kuroo can’t help but laugh even if that will only escalate the situation further.

What a temperamental creature, this destroyer of light.

Kuroo carefully took the clawed hand into his own, marvelled at the rough texture. The gods prided themselves on being beautiful, flawless but Kuroo was surrounded by the imperfections that make up humankind. He much preferred this god of darkness to any of the unblemished and immaculate creatures that occupied Olympus.

Kuroo felt the old gods pleasure, a soft almost shy feeling before they disappeared from Kuroo’s sight. He closed his eyes and stepped out to the area between his realm and Ushijima’s, feigning ignorance when met with his brother's heavy scowl.

They wanted Kuroo to make a decision, to fight on one side or the other. Ushijima mostly left Kuroo alone to reach his own conclusion, they were gods after all and what else did gods have but an abundance of time. But Oikawa had never been as patient, he began to send heroes into the Underworld. Kuroo was not sure what this was made to accomplish except mild annoyance on his part and he most likely would have fully hidden all entrances to the Underworld from the mortal realm except he could feel the old gods interest piqued by the living mortals that ventured into their domain.

Challenges were set up for these would-be heroes. Kuroo could feel the pull of the ancient ones' presence close by whenever these mortals would dare make demands or requests of him. A soft touch against his back, the quietest whisper in his ear, a look that felt more like a caress.

If a mortal could lead their partner out without once looking back then they would both be free to leave the Underworld with their lives intact. Many challenged the creatures there, defeating the three-headed guardian seemed to be a popular one.

When that did not seem to work Oikawa started to send  _ bribes _ . The most beautiful creatures began to find their way to the Underworld and tried to tempt him into joining forces. Kuroo would have put a stop to that immediately but the ancient god was jealous and Kuroo was no fool to his own emotions, he enjoyed that. He liked that it brought the devourer of light closer to him.

Until that presence disappeared completely and Kuroo was suddenly left adrift without them. He cut off all access to his brothers and was harsh in his punishment to anyone who dared to approach him. Even the self involved king of gods knew better than to continue on with his endeavour and left Kuroo to his own devices.

Kuroo wasn’t sure how much time drifted by until he felt an unknown presence in his realm. He thought about sending the furies after the truly idiotic god, for Kuroo could tell they were a god even though he couldn’t pinpoint which one. Instead he got up himself to deal with the problem for only a god could kill another god and perhaps if he killed one then they would truly leave him be.

The gods, Oikawa in particular, had sired so many children that Kuroo stopped keeping track. But flowers bloomed around their bare feet, tiny little orange sunbursts that Kuroo hadn’t seen since the cave disappeared after the ancient god,  _ his _ god, disappeared. The young god was reaching up to pet the three-headed guardian, who hadn’t been themself since the presence disappeared.

The god was absolutely stunning, though that usually wasn’t saying much when speaking of the gods since they could change their appearance at will and often enjoyed making themselves perfect. But this one hadn’t bothered. They were on the shorter side, stocky for the clear child of nature they were. Their skin was darker than the fair and golden shades the gods preferred, as if he spent his every waking moment in the sun. Freckles decorated the bridge of his nose and over his cheeks, along the broad shoulders that were bared.

Kuroo felt a pull towards the young god, felt the familiar presence once more as warm brown eyes finally took note of him. The nature god gave the guardian of the Underworld one last pat before walking towards Kuroo, hand reaching out to follow a familiar path from Kuroo’s chest to his shoulder.

Even for one as old as Kuroo was, who had seen and experienced so much, he could not understand how this had happened. Was this a child of the ancient god? Kuroo was not sure why but he did not believe that. Did they give up everything to somehow be reborn as a minor god?

As if reading Kuroo’s mind, which is something the ancient creature always had been able to do, the realm around them shifted and moved, groaning as someone else controlled it besides Kuroo. A challenging smile pulled at the nature god's mouth, as if daring Kuroo to say that he had somehow been made lesser in any way.

Kuroo leant down and tasted that smile for himself for he was not just Kuroo’s partner in name but equal in every way. 


End file.
